Film Reviews

The Seven Year Itch is one of the quintessential mid-1950s Hollywood comedies, celebrated not just for its charm and humour but for its cultural resonance. Directed and co-written by the legendary Billy Wilder, and adapted from George Axelrod's successful Broadway play, the film is a deftly constructed exploration of marital anxiety, sexual temptation, and post war neuroses — all wrapped in glossy Technicolor and buoyed by the luminous presence of Marilyn Monroe.

Cat Ballou is a genre-bending romp that mixes broad comedy, Western tropes, musical interludes, and subversive satire into a singular cinematic concoction. It was a bold departure from traditional Westerns of the era — irreverent and light-hearted, yet rooted in themes of justice, personal transformation, and frontier corruption.

My Man Godfrey is a sparkling comedy of manners wrapped around a biting social critique. Released at the height of the Great Depression, it uses the zany tropes of screwball comedy to explore class disparity, human dignity, and the fine line between wealth and madness.

Moonstruck is a romantic comedy that feels like a finely aged wine: rich, layered, and full of unexpected warmth. Directed by Norman Jewison and written by playwright John Patrick Shanley, the film is a celebration of life, love, loss, and second chances — all wrapped in the vibrant culture of an Italian-American Brooklyn family.

It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is a monumental ensemble comedy film that brings together an all-star cast of legendary comic actors in a frenzied, over-the-top race for hidden treasure.

The Great Dictator marks a seismic moment in cinema history: Charlie Chaplin’s first full sound film, and one of the earliest and most daring direct attacks on Adolf Hitler and fascism — released while the United States was still officially neutral in World War II. A dark political satire and social parable wrapped in comedy, the film is both a bold denunciation of tyranny and a plea for human decency.

Modern Times is a masterpiece of satire, physical comedy, and social commentary. Written, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin in his final performance as the iconic Little Tramp, the film is both a farewell to the silent film era and a scathing critique of industrialization and capitalism during the Great Depression.

The Thin Man is one of the most influential genre hybrids in cinematic history — a brilliant fusion of screwball comedy, hard-boiled detective fiction, and sophisticated romance.

Born Yesterday (1950) is a witty, sharply written comedy with a political edge, elevated to classic status by Judy Holliday’s Oscar-winning performance. Adapted from the successful Broadway play by Garson Kanin, the film mixes satire, romance, and social commentary, examining the corrupting influence of money and the transformative power of education and self-respect.

Based (very loosely) on the 1939 short story of the same name by James Thurber, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty was transformed for the screen into a vehicle tailored to the immense talents of comedian, singer, and impressionist Danny Kaye. While Thurber's original story is a brief and dryly ironic portrait of a henpecked man escaping reality through heroic daydreams, the film adaptation expands the narrative into a full-blown Technicolor adventure, romantic comedy, and music

Richard Lester’s 1973 adaptation of The Three Musketeers is one of the most energetic, irreverent, and stylish takes on Alexandre Dumas’s classic novel ever put to screen. Blending period-authentic detail with slapstick humour and modern wit, this version offers a refreshing departure from the more stately or romanticized adaptations that preceded it.

This 1934 adaptation of Anne of Green Gables holds a special place in film history, not just as the first talkie adaptation of L.M. Montgomery’s beloved novel, but also because it introduced audiences to a young actress, Dawn O'Day, who so closely identified with the character of Anne Shirley that she adopted the name for the rest of her career.

Willow is a high fantasy adventure from the late 1980s that was part of a larger wave of sword-and-sorcery epics inspired by the massive success of Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings. Conceived by George Lucas and brought to life by Ron Howard, Willow occupies an intriguing niche between mythic heroism and light-hearted family entertainment.

Hans Christian Andersen is not a biopic in the traditional sense. In fact, the film opens with a disclaimer: “This is not the story of his life, but a fairytale about this great spinner of fairy tales.” And that sentiment perfectly captures the essence of this vibrant, whimsical musical.

Brannigan is a fascinating cultural artifact—an attempt to repackage the quintessential American cowboy hero, John Wayne, into the mould of a modern urban cop thriller set in 1970s London. Directed by Douglas Hickox and produced in the wake of Dirty Harry and The French Connection, the film represents both a genre experiment and a late-career pivot for its iconic star.

Working Girl is a sharp, spirited, and empowering film that takes a romantic comedy framework and infuses it with ambition, class struggle, and gender politics. Directed by Mike Nichols, known for his acutely observed character studies (The Graduate, Carnal Knowledge), the film captures the corporate culture of the late 1980s through the lens of an underdog tale.

The Lost Boys is a stylish, energetic blend of horror and teen comedy that helped redefine the vampire genre for a new generation. Released in 1987 and directed by Joel Schumacher, the film merges punk aesthetics, MTV-era sensibilities, and mythic horror into a uniquely vibrant cinematic cocktail. It took the classic vampire lore and injected it with ‘80s cool, complete with leather jackets, saxophones, motorcycles, and sun-drenched California boardwalks.

Gremlins is one of the most iconic and genre-bending films of the 1980s, blending horror, comedy, fantasy, and satire in a unique package that feels both nostalgic and subversive. Directed by Joe Dante and produced by Steven Spielberg, this holiday-set creature feature explores small-town Americana under siege by mischievous monsters born of consumer irresponsibility and magical folklore.

The Titfield Thunderbolt is a whimsical and affectionate British comedy produced by Ealing Studios, best known for their run of clever, character-driven post war satires. Released in 1953 and inspired by the real-life story of villagers in Cambridgeshire who fought to save their branch line (the first to be operated by volunteers), the film celebrates community spirit, individual initiative, and the enduring romance of the railway age.

Passport to Pimlico is one of the standout entries in the golden era of Ealing Studios comedies, a post war British film institution known for its dry wit, ensemble casts, and uniquely British sense of humour. Released in 1949, this film delivers a delightful mix of absurdism, satire, and social commentary, rooted firmly in the trials and tribulations of post war British society.